A Lenawee County Circuit Court jury deliberated two hours Thursday before deciding Siena Heights University was not responsible for dog bites suffered by two freshman athletes in 2010.

The verdict of no liability for the university came after a five-day trial.

The students sued the university, claiming officials should have warned them not to run on Academy Road because of dangerous dogs at a private residence there. The dogs got loose from the owner and attacked Kyle Smith and Jasmine Caldwell as they ran on Academy Road on Aug. 15, 2010.

The two had arrived on campus the day before and were in training as members of the track and cross country teams.

Siena Heights University is not legally responsible for their dog bite injuries, argued defense attorney Jessica Greyerbiehl of Southfield. The two were not on university property and the university had no control over the dogs, she said. There was no more responsibility by university officials than if the students had been injured while running near their homes in Colorado and Sylvania, Ohio, she told the jury in final arguments Thursday morning.

Greyerbiehl called the dogs’ owner, Bruce Burtless, to testify about how the dogs got loose. She also placed into evidence the fact that Burtless was prosecuted on a criminal misdemeanor charge and that Michigan law makes owners liable for dog bite injuries from unprovoked attacks.

Attorneys for the two students argued university officials had a legal obligation to warn them of a known danger from the dogs at Burtless’ home.

“They knew about it for years,” said attorney Eric Rosenberg of Southfield. “The known risk was the road where Mr. Burtless lived.”

Siena Heights officials were not in control of Academy Road, said attorney John Hindo of Birmingham.

“But what they can do is protect their students from going down what they know is a dangerous area,” Hindo argued to the jury. “They failed to warn about an area they knew.”

After the verdict was returned Thursday, a short statement was issued by Lee Johnson, Siena Heights University senior vice president of business and finance.

“The university is obviously pleased with the jury's decision and trusted in the process,” Johnson stated. “The university has no further comment at this time.”